


day by day

by s_craggy



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Pining, Slow Burn, chatfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 17:21:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19728259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/s_craggy/pseuds/s_craggy
Summary: "I will literally fight you. I will throw hands right here. Don't fucking test me, Joey.""You're the one who's wrong. I've got nothin to prove.""Oh, that's fucking it."Tristan dives. Joey jumps out of his chair and onto the stained and sticky linoleum floor. Yugi looks at them with only slight concern. He glances at the front counter; the worker is on their phone, thankfully bored."Take it back." Tristan says. "Take it fucking back.""I'm not going to lie to you just to appease your fragile masculinity," Joey responds. Tristan has him pinned to the floor and he's struggling to break free. "Water isn't wet by definition.""I'm going to fucking murder you."





	day by day

**Author's Note:**

> au where theyre all gay idk 
> 
> slow burn yugi/kaiba, uhhhh Definitely tea/mai at some point idk about the rest
> 
> this is bad but its fun to write and thats the only thing that matters i guess

Yugi walks into school. 

Yugi walks out of school. 

"I don't know how many times I need to tell you," a staff member he doesn't remember says. "But if you can't follow the dress code I have to send you home." 

"I understand." Yugi says, because he is nothing if not polite, and the teacher waves him off. 

> yugi: got sent home again   
>  yugi: so i guess ill see u guys tomorrow 
> 
> tea: YUGI  
>  tea: thats the second time this week!!
> 
> yugi: :(
> 
> joey: whos the fool who made u leave lemme handle them 
> 
> yugi: thats a TEACHER joey
> 
> joey: yea
> 
> bakura: Yugi, if you don't have any other plans you are always welcome to stop by. I am free today. 
> 
> yugi: oh cool!! ill stop by soon!!
> 
> tristan: me n joey can take any teacher in this school   
>  tristan: give us the name 
> 
> yugi: NO!!
> 
> joey: smh
> 
> tea: you guys have all missed enough school as it is! how do you expect to pass your classes?
> 
> tristan: c is passing right 
> 
> joey: d is passing right 
> 
> tea: guys........
> 
> mai: its like not even 8am why are u guys so loud
> 
> tea: we're??? at school????? where are u oh my god 
> 
> mai: well i WAS sleeping   
>  mai: not anymore
> 
> yugi: poor tea :((
> 
> tea: guys............................
> 
> bakura: To be fair, Tea, at least I'm not skipping.
> 
> tea: ... what ???????
> 
> yugi: oh yeah i forgot bakura isnt in school 
> 
> tea: WHAT
> 
> bakura: In order to live on my own I have to work full time, so I left school early. 
> 
> joey: shit thats rough 
> 
> bakura: I don't mind. I never did like school. 
> 
> tristan: yeah i feel you there 
> 
> tea: okay bakura is valid the rest of u are just lazy >:(
> 
> yugi: :(  
>  yugi: i tried to go 
> 
> tea: what did u wear this time???????????
> 
> yugi: (downloading photo)
> 
> tea: YUGI  
>  tea: THAT IS OBVIOUSLY NOT SCHOOL APPROPRIATE
> 
> yugi: well i know that now!!!!!
> 
> tristan: where did u find a crop top that short 
> 
> yugi: i cut it :)
> 
> tristan: ah
> 
> joey: idk what u guys are talking about u look great yug
> 
> yugi: thanks joey!!!
> 
> bakura: I have to agree with Joey.
> 
> yugi: awww you guys :)))  
>  yugi: okay im at bakuras so ill talk to you guys later!!!!

* * *

**[Player** BAKURA **gifted you 1** ROSE. **Sent to gift box]**

**[Open: Gift box]**

**[Collect all]**

**[Gained 1** ROSE **]**

**[Open: chat]**

**[Open: private messages]**

**[Send to BAKURA:** thanks !!!!! **]**

**[Received from BAKURA:** :) **]**

* * *

"I will literally fight you. I will throw hands right here. Don't fucking test me, Joey." 

"You're the one who's wrong. I've got nothin to prove."

"Oh, that's fucking  _ it. _ " 

Tristan dives. Joey jumps out of his chair and onto the stained and sticky linoleum floor. Yugi looks at them with only slight concern. He doesn't want to be kicked out again. He glances at the front counter; the worker is on their phone, thankfully bored. Yugi goes back to his burger. 

"Take it back." Tristan says. "Take it fucking back." 

"I'm not going to lie to you just to appease your fragile masculinity," Joey responds. Tristan has him pinned to the floor and he's struggling to break free. "Water  _ isn't _ wet by definition." 

"I'm going to fucking murder you." 

The door opens on the other side of the restaurant, but neither boy on the ground seems to notice. Yugi looks over, eyes drawn to the motion, but when he sees who it is he freezes. 

Seto Kaiba. 

He's wearing a black choker and some of the tightest leather pants Yugi has ever seen, which is saying something. His signature white coat hangs off of him like it was custom tailored – because it was. His hair is brushed to the side allowing full view of his brilliant blue eyes. 

Yugi, as it turns out, has a little bit of a crush. 

Luckily his two friends are still preoccupied on the floor, because Yugi can't help but stare just a little. He and Kaiba haven't talked very much – almost not at all, if he's being honest. Just in passing at school. Yugi has been plotting for  _ months _ trying to figure out how to become friends with him. 

'Friends'. 

Yugi's real subtle.

"Hey, Yug, you might wanna take your chin off the table. Getting drool everywhere, bud." 

Yugi snaps his head around to look at Joey and Tristan who are now sitting at the table like they hadn't just been wrestling on the dirty ground. 

"Who won?" Yugi asks. 

Joey gives a smug grin. "Tristan." 

"If water isn't fucking wet then nothing else can be either." Tristan huffs. "Anyways, who were you looking at?" 

"No one." 

"Kaiba." Joey says. "Yug's got the hots for him." 

"No, I don't!" 

"Yes, you do." 

Yugi pouts. Tristan laughs. Joey's smug look hasn't changed. 

"I guess I think he's cute." Yugi admits. 

"Ha! Told you." 

"Wait," Tristan says. "Wait, wait. Isn't he, like, kind of an asshole?" 

"Uh, yeah." Joey says. "He's the biggest bitch in school. I can't fuckin stand him." 

"Why do you like him, Yugi? He's like. The exact opposite of you." 

Yugi looks at them innocently. "He's just awkward. Just because he's blunt doesn't mean he's mean." 

"Rose tinted already." Tristan sighs. "Damn." 

"Hey! Me giving him the benefit of the doubt doesn't have anything to do with me liking him." Yugi scowls. "I like trying to see the good in everyone." 

"Yeah, Tristan." Joey says. "Yug's a nice guy, unlike  _ you." _

"Oh, fuck  _ off." _

Joey takes a pointed drink of his soda. Tristan rolls his eyes. 

"I just want to be friends with him for now." Yugi says eventually. "Get to know him better." 

"Good luck. Guy's just about as closed off as they get." 

"That's what makes it fun!" Yugi says. "It's like... a challenge. I just gotta come up with something for us to talk about." 

"Isn't he in some robotics club?" Tristan says. 

"I thought it was building?" Joey asks. 

"Robotics." Yugi says firmly. "I guess I can talk to him about that." 

"Ask him to teach you. I gotta feeling he's the kind of freak who is just waiting to spill it all." 

Yugi takes another bite of his burger. 

* * *

(Yugi won't admit it. Not at all. But he lays awake at night thinking about what Kaiba might look like if he smiled.) 

* * *

(Yugi won't admit it. Not at all. But when he does that, and the image floats across his mind, his stomach flips over so much he gets a little dizzy.) 

* * *

> joey: one of yous guys got the answers for the math hw
> 
> tea: why don't you just do it yourself for once???
> 
> yugi: (Downloading image)  
>  yugi: remember to change some of the answers so teachers dont start having expectations of you
> 
> joey: ur the best yug
> 
> tea: yugi you're enabling him!
> 
> yugi: i dont want him to fail!!
> 
> tea: so make him work for it!!!
> 
> yugi: oh  
>  yugi: okay  
>  yugi: joey come do my laundry
> 
> joey: omw
> 
> tea: i swear
> 
> mai: let it go, t. hes stupid, theres not any other options 
> 
> joey: yeah what mai said  
>  joey: hey wait
> 
> tea: yeah he IS stupid
> 
> joey: HEY
> 
> tristan: are we talking about joey being stupid
> 
> joey: NOT YOU TOO
> 
> yugi: hey be nice to joey!!!!! you know he cant come up with comebacks!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> joey: why do i put up with you fucking bullies.
> 
> bakura: Against popular opinion, I don't think Joey is the dumbest out of our group.
> 
> joey: tHANK YOU  
>  joey: FINALLY
> 
> tristan: who is it then 
> 
> tristan: bakura
> 
> mai: lol
> 
> tristan: @bakura
> 
> tristan: @bakura
> 
> joey: ur just scared cause its U
> 
> tristan: it is NOT  
>  tristan: right bakura
> 
> tristan: right

* * *

Today, Yugi notes with a careful and covert gaze, Kaiba is wearing a black turtleneck. It's his more reserved look – almost scholarly, Yugi decides, with his well pressed khakis and beige argyle socks. 

He doesn't honestly  _ like _ this outfit. He prefers Kaiba's standard white and black look, his usual flair. Studded white collars and belts down his arms and those tight, tight black pants. 

Kaiba's steely blue eyes flit over Yugi, just barely making contact, and Yugi looks away, embarrassed. Robotics club is still a couple of days away. They are not yet close enough for eye contact. 

(Yugi can only dream.)

> joey: yug ur droolin
> 
> yugi: am NOT
> 
> tristan: kinda are buddy
> 
> yugi: i am diligently paying attention to class. unlike you two
> 
> joey: uh huh
> 
> tea: do i need to take your fucking phones away
> 
> yugi: they started it


End file.
